Seventeen: The Abyss

Viggo snatched his sword and rose to his feet, the blade edged with the warm light from the lanterns as he pointed the blade at the intruder.

"What could you possibly have to say, Astrid?" he asked dryly. "You appear to have been most effective in diminishing my fortunes and destroying my organisation." She remained back in the shadows, out of reach and shielded by the gloom.

"You could surrender," she said quietly. "You could renounce any claim on Hiccup, cease your aggression against the Dragon Riders and give up Dragon Hunting."

"Do you wish my heart as well?" Viggo asked sarcastically, draining his goblet and wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. Astrid took a step forward, her blue eyes sparkling with anger.

"I heard your men," she said in an inch voice. "You wanted Hiccup's head. You sent men specifically to murder him." Viggo gave a small smile. If she was angry, the probabilities of outwitting her grew greater.

"This is war, my dear-or hadn't you realised that?" he taunted her. "You have certainly been employing military tactics against me-or should we maybe term it piracy?"

"Just desserts would be my term for it," she replied sharply. "You capture and kill and maim dragons...finally some payback."

"And what does dear Hiccup think about your actions, my dear?" he taunted her. "I seem to recall that he is rather more squeamish about the prospect of killing. And have you told him what you did to Krogan's Singetail? I am certain he would not approve."

"Hiccup does not know-but he will," she said more softly.

"And will he be disappointed?" Viggo asked her in a superior manner.

"I am certain of it."

Viggo tutted.

"Such a shame," he scoffed. "You seemed such a happy couple. A secret like this could tear you apart. The deceit, the guilt, the feelings of betrayal..." Astrid lifted her axe.

"It won't work," she told him shortly. "I believed that Hiccup was dead-and I did what I did because of that. Now that it seems he survived...I know I am not worthy of him. I don't deserve him. Seeing the disappointment in his eyes would just kill me." Viggo chuckled.

"It's always disappointment that hurts the most," he said smoothly. Her eyes flicked up sharply.

"No," she said quietly. "It's losing what you love." Viggo gestured.

"You know I just have to shout and my men will come and capture you?" he suggested but she smiled.

"They have other concerns," she said and Viggo blinked, realising he could hear shouting. "I think your base is wrecked, your men scattered and your fleet all but gone."

"I can rebuild," he told her smugly. "You don't understand what a man such as myself values-or what I will do to ensure my own success." Astrid shook her head.

"I am glad that I will never understand a man like you," she admitted and then she stepped out of the shadows. "But you won't rebuild." And she turned her hand over to reveal something that had Viggo's eye widening. A flask that was the twin of one he had smashed, a flask that had been empty when he handed it over to Astrid-but which he assumed she had taken back and given to Hiccup.

A flask that had contained the Wine of Hela.

Astrid smiled.

"I may not understand a man like you-but given enough encouragement, I can think like you," she said as he swallowed suddenly. "You gave me the 'antidote' to give to Hiccup...but he was conscious and aware enough to refuse it-because it was the poison itself. You wanted me to dose him with the very thing that would kill him quicker and remove all hope. I didn't. Instead, I put it where it would do the most good."

And Viggo's head turned to stare at his now-empty bottle of mead and then back at the blonde warrior. Pointedly, she dropped the flask and the empty glass container smashed on the cold ground.

"What have you done?" he breathed.

"I believe it is termed...irony," she said calmly. "The same means you used to try to kill Hiccup. Except this time, there will be no miracle-because of the actions you yourself took." He turned and desperately searched through his desk-but the precious parchment had gone. Astrid smiled. "I destroyed the recipe for the Wine-and the antidote," she told him unnecessarily. "Of course, you could send your men to Frost Isle...if the Fliers hadn't already destroyed the Archives. And if you still had Fliers to make the trip in time. And of course, if your men hadn't gone round the Archipelago destroying all the ingredients required for the cure. In fact, I believe at least two of them no longer exist.'

"But...you Riders know the cure...and you must have some of the ingredients because you got them for Hiccup..." he breathed.

"And I believe they used them all for Hiccup," she said in a hard voice. "And any that remained-well, your attack damaged Berk so badly, do you think they still exist?"

He shook his head, his one brown eye suddenly filled with desperation.

"You must help me..." he said suddenly.

"We did help you," Astrid told him. "Hiccup helped you-and you repaid him with betrayal. You held an axe to my throat and demanded the DragonEye. You called me his future. You wanted to deprive Hiccup of his future unless he exchanged for the DragonEye for me. So I have learned your game, Viggo. I have taken your future." He grabbed the DragonEye and offered it to her.

"Take it!" he said breathlessly. He gestured to the box containing his lenses. "Take them all! Just give me the cure." Astrid frowned and then walked forward, her axe still raised. Carefully, she skirted the Hunter and grasped the DragonEye and the box then backed away.

"The cure is on your desk," she said in a toneless voice. Breathing hard, Viggo stared at the desk, seeing only the empty bottle and goblet-and his sword.

"You have betrayed me!" he growled. She shook her head.

"How far along do you think you will get before you beg for death? Before you crave death?" she asked him sharply. "Blind? Paralysed? Deprived of speech? Or having fits and delusions? And who will look after you, Viggo? There are few men left and none of them are family or kin. Your Tribe is gone. When you lose your authority, do you think they'll stick around? Can you see Johann mopping your brow and putting every resource he could into trying to cure you? Because we gave everything to find the cure for Hiccup-because he is loved by everyone he knows. His friends would die for him-or go to the ends of the world for him to get the cure...or the depths of the abyss to prevent the man who harmed him, who has sworn to kill him, from living to try again." Her eyes glittered with rage.

"Johann knows," Viggo spat. "He will send his men, his resources after you. You will never be safe. You can never return to Berk."

"I already accepted that, the hour I left on this quest," she said evenly. "But I warned them against him. He can't go back to Berk either." Then she allowed her lips to tilt in a small smile. "So what do you choose, Viggo? To wait and see how bad it gets, to enjoy what you put Hiccup through? Or choose to leave and avoid the pain?"

"I could kill you," Viggo hissed. "That would ease my pain. You hadn't considered that..." Astrid smiled then, a cold expression that didn't make it to her eyes.

"No you can't," she said, raising her axe and backing away. She whistled and there was a caw as Stormfly rustled her wings outside the tent. "I'll leave you to enjoy your death, Viggo." And then she paused. "You know-when you tried to kill me, Hiccup threw the DragonEye away, risking the person he loved to save the dragons. When you ran after it and the crater lip broke, he threw himself forward to try to grab you. He said...that it didn't have to end this way." She reached the tent flap. "But from that hour, Viggo, I always knew it did."

Then she vanished through the flap and Viggo stared after her, the anger leaving his body as soon as she disappeared. Automatically, he reached for the goblet-and then, in a fit of rage, he flung it across the tent with an incoherent scream. Finally, he walked to the desk and drew out his pen, dipping it into the ink and writing a short explanation. He sealed it using his seal for the last time and then walked to the tent flap. The guard there looked up.

"Take this to Johann," he commanded and the man ran off, the precious missive in his hand as Viggo retreated to his tent and lifted the sword once more. And then he gave a small smile.

"You know, Hiccup-with tuition, that woman would have made a peerless Maces and Talons player," he sighed. "I never saw that coming." He reversed the sword. "And my only consolation is that you have lost her as a result. The darkness has stained her soul and you are bereft of your lover, your second-in-command and your friend." He gave a small, bitter laugh. "Cold consolation indeed for a dying man."

He gasped as he stabbed the sword up through his front and into his heart and he gave a final gasp.

"I concede victory," he breathed and collapsed to his knees, then onto his face, blood pooling under his body.

Quietly, Astrid peered round the tent flap, the letter in her hands from the guard she had slain. Quietly, she checked he was dead and then walked back to Stormfly, stowing the letter with the DragonEye and the lenses before pulling her hood up once more.

"It's okay, girl," she murmured. "He's gone. So let's sink these ships and go. And he's right. Johann knows who I am and what I've done-and he will be after me." She patted the Nadder on the neck. "Just you and me, girl. But Hiccup will be safe now-that's all that matters."

oOo

Night enshrouded Berk, the wind howling around the Great Hall as Stoick the Vast looked across his people. Many families had opened their doors to neighbours who had lost their homes so the actual number of people with nowhere to stay was pretty small-but he and his son were in that category. Spitelout had offered, of course because the man was kin but Hiccup had looked profoundly unhappy at the idea of staying with the Jorgensons-possibly related to how they had treated him when he was younger-so Stoick had decided to stay up in the Great Hall until his house was rebuilt.

He looked up from his Chief's Chair up behind the Council table, where he was doing his paperwork. There was a fire, adequate seating and shelter and though there was the possibility anyone could come in at any time, it was somewhere they could stay in safety. Toothless was curled up by the bed they had salvaged from the remains of the house and Hiccup was sleeping, with the badly injured Sneaky and his own Sharpshot curled up on the bed by his legs. The Chief had been astonished when his son had explained how he had been attacked and how the dragons-even the desperately injured Sneaky-had raced to his defence.

Tiredly, he rubbed his forehead and pinched the bridge of his nose. Hiccup's tone had been heartbroken when he had explained how Astrid had returned, explained that she had apologised and then she had left him. And he sounded as if his heart was broken. Though he wanted nothing more than to spend his time comforting his devastated and still healing son-but instead he had to have an urgent council meeting, arranging rosters for billets for the displaced, schedules for repairs and construction timetables. The meal had been welcome and the Chief had made sure he thanked the women who had cooked the food warmly and ensured his son had eaten before he settled down to do more work. There were a few others sleeping in various corners of the Hall but Stoick had made sure he and his son had the area behind the fire for their space and had ensured Hiccup was warm.

He found his eyes weighed down with weariness. It hurt his heart to see the village so damaged and though the enemy had been thrown back and Fliers destroyed, the cost had been high. He yawned and blinked. Maybe a walk would waken him up a little...and then he stiffened. Someone was moving stealthily through the shadows, heading for his son and he remained still, his head dropping back and breathing quietly as if he was asleep, though his hand moved slightly to grasp his axe-just in case. But the shape moved quietly and gracefully towards the sleeping Hiccup, his breaths deep and easy. The auburn-haired viking had been exhausted by the stresses and the exertions of the day and his wound-though minor-had been treated carefully by Gothi who had confirmed there was no poison in the blade and that it should heal up well. And Stoick had smiled at his son's brave reply:

"It's only fun if you get a scar out of it."

The shape had reached his side and pushed the hood back, revealing Astrid's golden braid as she had crouched down by the sleeping young man. Toothless had cracked open an eye, his ears having detected her approach-and he had recognised her by her familiar tread and of course, her unique scent-and she raised a warning finger to her lips. The dragon had quietly closed his eye in response, remaining quiet. Astrid had fished an object out of her pouch and Stoick saw the firelight gleam off the medallion he had given his wife on their Betrothal-which his own son had gifted the girl on the same occasion. And his heart broke as she gently rested it in Hiccup's half-curled hand as he slept. Instinctively, his fingers curled around the precious object.

"I'm sorry, my love," she whispered. "But I don't deserve you. I have done some terrible things that you would be ashamed of. I have slain your enemies because they hurt you so badly. And I lost faith. I abandoned you when I should have remained at your side, no matter what. I-I should have had the courage to accept I was going to see you die because you needed me. Instead, I chose the wreak vengeance on those who led us to that place-and left you alone when you needed me most. And I do love you...but I don't deserve you-not any more. After what I have done...I will never deserve you." She leaned forward and pressed a light kiss onto his forehead. "Goodbye, my love."

He shifted slightly, his breathing still deep and even and then he sighed.

"Astrid..."

Eyes closed in pain, she took a shuddering breath, watching him settle down to sleep and then she rose, stepping back from him and turning-to see Stoick's eyes watching her. She nodded and pulled her hood up.

"Lass..." he called softly and she stiffened.

"Sir?" she breathed as he beckoned her over. Reluctantly, she walked to the Council table and then sat opposite the Chief.

"I have to thank you," Stoick said gruffly. Her eyes flicked up guiltily. "Your arrival turned the tide. You did what the others could not."

"Would not," she admitted. Bushy brows dipping over his eyes, he looked honestly into her face.

"Astrid-you're like me: a protector," he said. "I know my son loves all things Dragon and will risk his life for them. I am not quite as sentimental, having killed very many in my life. I protect those I love and my tribe by whatever means is necessary-including killing, men or dragons. And though I know you are the closest to my son, you did what had to be done." He paused. "Is he dead?"

She nodded.

"I gave him the Wine of Hela that he almost tricked me into giving Hiccup," she replied. "And of course, his men have destroyed all clues and the components of the cure. He took his life." And then she reached into her pack and placed the DragonEye on the table, along with Viggo's box of lenses. "He gave me this." And then she fished out the letter. "And he wrote this."

Wordlessly, Stoick broke the seal and scanned the runes, his eyes widening before they flicked up to inspect the blond warrior opposite him.

"You know what this says?" he asked. She shook her head. "He is reporting the defeat to Johann and asking him to destroy you." He frowned. "Johann? But I thought..."

"I sent Sneaky to you with a message-"DO NOT TRUST JOHANN. HE COMMANDS VIGGO." I see Sneaky made it here-though he looks injured." Her voice was calm. Stoick sighed.

"He was badly injured and the message was all but intelligible," he reported with a grim expression. "All we could make out was 'Trust Johann'." Astrid gave a bitter chuckle.

"The opposite of what I had meant," she explained. "Be careful, sir. He is a dangerous man. He has knives concealed in his sleeves and he has a deadly aim..." Stoick grunted in anger.

"Then it was him," he guessed. She frowned.

"What?"

"While Hiccup was still in his coma, Johann visited and an attempt was made on his life," Stoick reported. "He awoke during it-but remembers nothing and his vision was still blurred at that point. Toothless saved him." He paused. "Gobber found knives on the floor."

"That would be Johann," she confirmed. And then she sighed. "Keep him safe, sir. Don't let him off Berk. Protect him." Stoick shook his head.

"You should stay," he told her.

"I cannot," she sighed. "I betrayed everything that Hiccup believes. In the process, I killed a dragon as I took down Krogan. I could not bear to live every day, seeing the disappointment in his eyes, knowing he will never look at me the same. And I love him so much."

"Astrid-he loves you desperately and you leaving him has broken his heart," the Chief told her. "He will forgive you-because he loves you." She sighed.

"Maybe, I need to forgive myself as well," she murmured. "And Johann will send assassins after me-Viggo said as much. I need to go away for his safety. I need to live with what I have done. And Hiccup needs someone who hasn't done what I have."

"He loves you," Stoick said softly as she rose. "You are the only one he wants."

"He should find someone better," she murmured, pulling her hood up. "Tell him I said goodbye. I release him from his Betrothal." And she turned and walked away as Stoick sighed and stared at the DragonEye.

"I don't believe that he'll give up that easily," he sighed as he heard the slight sound of the door close and the faint sound of a dragon taking off. "He's loved you most of his life-and love forgives all sins. But you're as stubborn as my son. I just hope you make peace with your demons, lass-because Berk needs you. He needs you. And I think...he will never give up on you." He glanced at the sleeping shape. "Once he's recovered, Hiccup will follow you to the ends of the world."